Robert Sanchez wins Brighton Sexiest Player of the Season 2021-22
Well, well, well. For the second season running, Robert Sanchez has been voted as Brighton Sexiest Player of the Season.
In doing so, he joins an elite club of two-time winners of the award. Andrea Orlandi, Inigo Calderon and Sanchez’s predecessor as number one Maty Ryan all won double Sexiest Player Awards. The question now is can Sanchez go onto become the first treble winner?
We would not put it past him. In 2020-21, he scored 39.96 percent of the Sexiest Player vote to win by 16 percent from runner up and Brighton & Hove’s best tanning salon customer, Ben White.
In 2021-22, Robert Sanchez extended his share to 47 percent. That put him 20 percent ahead of Joel Veltman in the Brighton Sexiest Player rankings.
Sanchez’s increasing popularity can be put down to one of two things. Either the Albion’s squad is becoming less good looking than it once was, a very real possibility following the departures of players like White, Ryan and Handsome Davy Propper.
Or Sanchez became more attractive in 2021-22. Maybe Brighton fans like a bit of edge? Sanchez has certainly added that to his game.
Having shown no emotion in his first six months as Albion number one, that ice cool demeanour cracked following Neal Maupay’s last minute equaliser at Selhurst Park.
Sanchez subsequently went wild, getting booked after the final whistle for his part in the celebrations. He then tried to fight the entire Holmesdale End as he left the pitch, causing a mass brawl in the tunnel area.
Since then, Sanchez has been sent off against Newcastle United and nearly decapitated Luis Diaz when kicking the Liverpool forward in the head at the Amex.
Quite what has happened to Sanchez remains a mystery – but clearly Albion fans like it. In stark contrast, second place went to a man who is flustered by absolutely nothing, not even a seagull stuck in his chimney.
Joel Veltman has become one of the most likeable players in the Brighton squad over the past two seasons. He rarely makes a mistake, he can cover a number of positions and he uploads videos to Instagram of him saving wild birds who have become trapped in his home using no tools other than a set of oven gloves.
Who has not imagined walking alongside tulips and canals in the Netherlands with Veltman before enjoying a cool pint of Grolsch and a suspiciously green cake?
Such dreams make it easy to understand how Veltman has been propelled to second, a worthy heir to Handsome Davy in the Good Looking Dutchman club.
Third place went to Solly March, who continues to edge creeper to the his first Sexiest Player of the Season title. March has been regularly nominated in his category for the past five years, finishing fourth in 2020-21.
His boyish good looks are yet to carry him to the title. A case of always the bridesmaid, never the bride – although he is in good company there.
It took no lesser man than Bruno a long time to win, several failed attempts finally being overwritten at the end of the 2018-19 season.
WeAreBrighton.com Sexiest Player of the Season 2021-22 – The Results
- Robert Sanchez – 47.79%
- Joel Veltman – 20.67%
- Solly March – 10.67%
- Shane Duffy – 9.49%
- Neal Maupay – 8.81%
- Adam Webster – 2.54%
Previous Winners: Robert Sanchez (2021), Maty Ryan (2020, 2018), Bruno (2019), Shane Duffy (2017), Inigo Calderon (2016, 2015), Andrea Orlandi (2014, 2013), Vicente (2012)
